Sue Altman for Congress

This district deserves someone who will fight for our Jersey values in Washington and show up when it matters most. I have a  track record of speaking truth to power. We need honest, fearless representation and a new generation of visionary and pragmatic leadership – and that’s why I’m running for Congress.

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Sue isn’t afraid to fight for New Jerseyans. Sue has challenged powerful political insiders – even within her own party – to protect public education, save taxpayer money, and strengthen our democracy.&nbsp;

<h2>Sue proudly hails from New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/c407f255-d1ca-4d5d-93b4-672b17826677/a2083fc6-1460-4b83-ab81-0aa66cb28caf/a2083fc6-1460-4b83-ab81-0aa66cb28caf.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=148%2C136%2C725%2C572&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="40" variant="framed">She grew up in Clinton, attended Clinton Public School and Voorhees High School, and calls Hunterdon County home. After playing college and professional basketball, Sue became a teacher and successful basketball coach in Warren County, leading two teams to championships.As a longtime advocate, Sue became a leader in the movement for New Jersey’s public education when she stood up to then-Governor Chris Christie in order to protect teachers and fight against cuts to our public schools.&nbsp;<h2>As Executive Director of the New Jersey Working Families Alliance, she spent years fighting corruption and the waste of taxpayer dollars in Trenton – taking on both parties to put working families ahead of partisan politics.&nbsp;</h2>Most notably, Sue led a coalition of unions, advocates, and community members to shed light on a $1 billion corporate tax incentive program in Camden that, instead of creating good jobs for working people, lined the pockets of politically connected corporate leaders – a program which resulted in a criminal investigation, a multi-million dollar penalty, and the recent indictments of South Jersey Democratic party bosses.&nbsp;

Sue has been in the fight for a better New Jersey for her whole life -- and she's ready to take it to Washington. From attacks on our fundamental rights to rising costs and unfair tax burdens, Sue is committed to bringing common-sense solutions to the communities that raised her and that she's proud to call home.

<h3>Fighting for Our Community</h3>These are some of the top issues our campaign is focused on. Learn more about our issues <a href="/issues" target="" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a>.

Sue's Top Priorities

Sue has dedicated her career to rooting out political corruption in New Jersey in order to protect New Jersey’s taxpayers and our democracy – and she’s ready to take that work to Washington. Sue has pledged to never accept any donations from corporate PACs.

Write a short blurb about an issue your campaign is highlighting. Try to keep the text a similar size between the various issue blurbs.

Anti-Corruption

With conservative extremists decimating reproductive rights, Sue will work to protect access to contraception, reproductive choice, and women’s health. As an advocate, Sue worked with grassroots groups to protect this right here in NJ.&nbsp;

Women’s Rights and Abortion

Everything is too expensive! From groceries to housing to insurance and&nbsp;fuel, families are seeing more and more of their hard earned paycheck drain away each month. Sue has a long record of working hard for everyday people and will fight in Congress to spur competition in our economy, restore the SALT deduction so New Jerseyans are not double-taxed, fight for a livable wage for all workers, and ensure that homes are bought by humans, not corporations. Our district and our state must&nbsp;be a place where families can thrive, young people can find homes, and seniors can retire.&nbsp;

Affordability

As our Congresswoman, Sue will fight for common-sense gun reforms to keep our schools, places of worship, and communities safe.&nbsp;She’ll work to give law enforcement the tools they need to get weapons of war out of our communities. She will work to ensure those responsible for crimes of hate are held accountable, investments are made into upstream causes of crime, our local police are fully funded to keep our communities safe, and white collar and political corruption crimes are investigated by law enforcement, and that those professionals have the funds they need to hold the powerful accountable by the law.&nbsp;

Public Safety

Environmental change is an existential threat to our communities and wildlife. From farmers grappling with changing weather patterns to our towns experiencing costly and life-threatening flooding, it’s clear that we need bold action.&nbsp;Sue will address our environmental&nbsp;crises at multiple levels, as well as work with our communities to ensure they have the resources they need to address immediate threats to our towns. Sue also knows that our district&nbsp;includes some of the last remaining beautiful open space in New Jersey, and she’ll work in Congress to protect our rural communities and natural environment&nbsp;from short-sighted, environmentally unsustainable overdevelopment and warehouse sprawl.

Protecting New Jersey's Natural Environment

Over the last 50 years, the pay and benefits for workers has decreased. This was caused in part by systematic de-unionization and de-industrialization and the loss of buying power for everyday people while corporate and CEO pay soared. Sue supports the right of workers to organize and the PRO Act. She also recognizes the exportation of good paying jobs to low wage countries harms working families here, and benefits almost no one other than multinational corporations. Sue understands that if we are going to support working families, we need to bring manufacturing, unions, fair wages, and job security back to New Jersey.

Workers' Rights &amp; Unions

Sue has long advocated for the taxpayer in New Jersey - often&nbsp;against her own party. Whether it was fighting against New Jersey's "corruption tax", pushing accountability for a bipartisan corporate tax giveaway program in Camden&nbsp;that fleeced hard working New Jerseyans out of a billion dollars, or&nbsp;her commitment to repealing the unfair and punitive Trump-era SALT deduction cap, Sue will always fight for fair&nbsp;taxes and smart, efficient use of our taxpayer money.&nbsp;

Lower Taxes for Jersey Families

Extremists are attacking our democracy every day, from their support of the insurrection on January 6th to attempts to undermine voting rights across the country. As she did for years in Trenton, Sue will advocate for legislation at the federal level to make voting accessible to all who are eligible.&nbsp;

Democracy

Right now, House Republicans are attempting to gut Medicare and Social Security. As our Congresswoman, Sue will always protect these critical programs and fight any attempts to make seniors foot the bill for tax cuts for megacorporations and the ultra-wealthy.

Medicare and Social Security

As a former educator, the fight for our schools is personal for Sue – and that’s why she’s committed to fighting against book banning and for investing in our public schools and working to ensure that every child in America gets the kind of high-quality education that they deserve.

Public Education

Our kids are struggling – and Congress needs to help this generation of young people. From fighting for funding for services to decreasing the stigma around mental health issues, Sue will prioritize this crisis as your Congresswoman.

Youth Mental Health

Sue is running in a seat that "has been identified as a key target of Democrats hoping to regain control of the House" according to the New York Times.

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<h2>Now, she’s running for Congress to take this same fight to Washington in order to lower costs for working families, secure New Jerseyans’ reproductive rights and fundamental freedoms, fight corruption on both sides of the aisle, and keep our communities safe.</h2>

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Instead of fighting corruption, they’re threatening our democracy and peddling conspiracy theories. Instead of protecting our hard-earned freedoms, they’re decimating reproductive rights. Instead of making New Jersey more affordable, they’re wasting time, leading the least productive Congress in history. This district deserves someone who will fight for our Jersey values in Washington and show up when it matters most. I have a&nbsp; track record of speaking truth to power. We need honest, fearless representation and a new generation of visionary and pragmatic leadership – and that’s why I’m running for Congress.

So much is happening right now. Write a couple lines to get your readers excited for it.

With just under two weeks to go until Election Day, Democratic congressional candidate Sue Altman is teaming up with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) to air a new TV ad hitting Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) for not holding in-person town halls.“Tom Kean has chosen to stand with the most extreme elements of his party,” Altman says in the ad. “He doesn’t hold town halls – he hides! I’m Sue Altman and I approve this message because I’m committed to holding both parties accountable, and I am committed to putting New Jersey first.”The ad is being paid for by both Altman and the DCCC, which as a party committee is allowed to transfer relatively small amounts of money to its allied candidates for joint ad expenditures. The DCCC is putting down a little less than $100,000 on the ad, while Altman’s campaign declined to say how much it’s spending.

The race for congressional District 7 in New Jersey is being closely watched across the nation.&nbsp;A win for challenger Sue Altman could give Democrats an edge in the U.S. House of Representatives.&nbsp;A new Monmouth University poll shows Republican incumbent Tom Kean, Jr. is only leading by 2%, and the poll has a margin of error of 4.7%.&nbsp;The swing district tends to lean red, covering Warren and Hunterdon counties, as well as parts of Somerset, Sussex and Union counties.&nbsp;Altman, a Democrat, and Kean, a Republican, are flooding the airwaves with political ads. Voters have been bombarded with campaign fliers in the mail.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/local-news?ftag=CNM-16-10abg0d" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> </a>Kean is focusing on crime and securing the border. Altman on getting guns off the streets and a woman's right to choose.&nbsp;Altman, a former teach and basketball player, says Kean's record in both the House and New Jersey state legislature is bad for women.&nbsp;"You have 23 years worth of votes against Planned Parenthood, votes against codifying Roe. He even voted against making sure contraception was included in women's health insurance," Altman said.

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Rep. Kean, Jr., challenger Altman face off in NJ-7

The voters who will decide control of the White House and Congress next year live in a minority of states and congressional districts.Hardly any of them live in New Jersey.Presidential candidates are criss-crossing the country, hopping between Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin — the states that will determine the next commander in chief.Rep. Andy Kim, a Democrat from South Jersey running for the U.S. Senate, is likely to win his race against Republican businessman Curtis Bashaw, and 11 of New Jersey’s 12 House seats are unlikely to be close races.That leaves the race for control of the 7th district, where Rep. Tom Kean, a Republican, son of the former governor and grandson of a congressman from the mid-20th Century, is trying to fend off progressive Democratic organizer Sue Altman and win a second House term as the lone competitive federal election in the state.

Key races will determine control of Congress.

Kean won the seat just two years ago after the district was realigned to favor a Republican majority. We asked his challenger Sue Altman about the issues impacting New Jersey."I think we need to codify ROE for women's reproductive rights. We need to make sure that it's not just left up to the states rights issue.... So, that's number one. On affordability, I mean, we need to make sure that there is vital and robust competition at every point of sale," Altman said.The negative ad campaign has given her name recognition. Altman is a former basketball player who became a teacher and frustration drove her into politics."It is with the people of this district and my career. I have stood up against both parties when they've stepped out of line," Altman said.

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. faces Sue Altman in NJ-7

Former Senator Bill Bradley joined Sue Altman and Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) on the campaign Saturday afternoon in a basketball star-filled Hunterdon County rally.Bradley, a basketball hall of famer who served as a senator in the Garden State for nearly 20 years, praised Altman’s political activism (and pro-basketball background) and said Kim’s national security background would be among the strongest of any senators, should he be elected. Bradley’s visit to the rally at a Milford dairy farm highlights Democratic efforts to not just secure Kim a seat in the Senate, but also to push Altman, a former state Working Families Party leader, past the finish line in the highly competitive 7th congressional district.“Right now, at the presidential [level], I can’t believe it, but it’s very close, and that makes this congressional race in New Jersey that Sue is running even more important than it was before,” Bradley said. “Because God forbid if there ever is Trump back in the White House, we have to have a Democratic Congress to be able to be a bulwark against the radical actions that he is going to take.”Bradley and Altman, of course, share an affinity for basketball. Bradley played for Princeton before being drafted by the New York Knicks and winning NBA titles in 1970 and 1973. Altman won conference honors while playing basketball at Columbia University and later played professionally in Ireland and Germany.

Bill Bradley joins Altman, Kim in Hunterdon Co

Today, the Office and Professional Employees Unions (OPEIU) Local 32, AFL-CIO announced their endorsement of Sue Altman in her race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, where she is in a statistically-tied race with incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr.OPEIU represents over 4,000 workers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware – representing employees of local government agencies, colleges and universities, libraries, clinics and hospitals, nonprofits, and more.Bill Henning, Business Manager OPEIU Local 32, AFL-CIO:“The members of OPEIU are proud to stand with Sue Altman, a proven fighter for working people. She has steadfastly supported workers in our efforts to secure fair wages, stronger workplace protections, and the right to organize. Unlike her opponent, she will use her position as our next congresswoman to advocate for working families, and that’s exactly the kind of leadership we need in Washington. Without hesitation, we endorse Sue Altman in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.”

OPEIU Local 32, AFL-CIO Endorses Sue Altman

For weeks, a congressional seat in one of the country’s most closely watched swing districts seemed destined to remain under Republican control.America PAC, a political action committee founded by Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, has used digital ads to boost the Republican incumbent in the New Jersey race, Thomas Kean Jr. Another PAC, the Republican Congressional Leadership Fund, has flooded prime-time television with nearly $3 million in commercials that depict Mr. Kean’s Democratic challenger, Sue Altman, as a “radical liberal” who supported “decriminalizing crack, heroin and fentanyl.”Yet with recent polls suggesting that the gap separating the candidates has narrowed, the Democrats have mounted a last-minute push.On Tuesday, in an 11th-hour sign of confidence, the campaign arm of House Democrats who are fighting to win back a majority they lost two years ago made its first monetary contribution to Ms. Altman. The fund, the House Majority PAC, committed to spend about $4 million in the last two weeks of the race as it released its first TV ad on her behalf.

New Jersey House Race Narrows in Final Days

Altman, DCCC team up for coordinated ad buy

For much of her career, Altman had been a thorn in the side of the New Jersey political machine, fighting against both Republicans and corrupt Democrats. In 2019, she made headlines for being forcibly removed from a state Senate hearing regarding a sweetheart tax break program used to award lucrative contracts to politically connected developers in Camden, New Jersey. The most notable beneficiary was George Norcross, the South Jersey political boss who has now been indicted on racketeering charges for those deals.Altman was also one of the first to call for Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez to resign after his own corruption indictment. (Menendez was convicted and has now stepped down.) Along with Senate candidate Rep. Andy Kim, she led the charge in numerous lawsuits that ultimately took down the “county line” system, an electoral tool to tilt the playing field in elections toward the state machine’s endorsed candidates.Though she built credibility with reformers, she made some powerful enemies along the way. Norcross, a major party bundler, has close friends throughout the national party, including Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. His brother is a sitting congressman, Rep. Don Norcross (D-NJ), who’s been a generous donor to the party’s campaign arms, including raising nearly $100,000 this year for the DCCC.Out on the trail, Altman is leaning into her track record as a reformer to showcase her independent streak and appeal to more moderate swing voters.

Democrats Jump Into Critical New Jersey Race

The 7th Congressional District is seen as the only competitive congressional race in New Jersey this year, and while all the political rating groups say it’s freshman Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s to win, recent polling data shows Democrat Sue Altman has a path to victory.A Monmouth University Poll released Wednesday said Kean was leading Altman by 2 percentage points, with 46% expressing support for Kean and 44% supporting Altman. That is within the poll’s margin of error of 4.7 percentage points, meaning the race is still too close to call. This is the only nonpartisan poll that has been done on the district this year, but it mirrors the results of an internal poll commissioned by the Altman campaign and another poll by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.That DCCC Analytics poll showed Vice President Kamala Harris up by one point over former President Donald Trump and Rep. Andy Kim (D-3rd) up by four points over Republican Curtis Bashaw in the Senate race. The poll’s margin of error is five points.

The nailbiter among NJ congressional races

“He’s a national joke – literally,” Malinowski told about 100 people gathered in a downtown plaza. Malinowski said the only national attention Kean has gotten in Washington has been for standing silent in an elevator when a reporter tried to ask him questions.This is, naturally, a presidential year. But with New Jersey considered a “safe state” for Kamala Harris, Malinowski urged the crowd to focus on CD-7, which covers at least parts of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties.“We have to focus on flipping this seat in the seventh district,” he said.

Malinowski Jumps into CD-7 in Support of Altman

Sue Altman, the Democrat challenging Rep. Tom Kean Jr., stood on a stage in Rahway taking questions Wednesday night when a Republican lawyer took the microphone and praised her for her support of Israel, and her outspoken opposition to antisemitism.“I wanted to express my appreciation,” the lawyer, Alan Levy, said afterwards. “She’s all-in on support of Israel and the Jewish community.”This issue, like no other, splits the Democratic Party in two. Last year, Gallup asked Democrats if they were more sympathetic towards Israel or Palestinians, and for the first time the Palestinians came out on top. And as we saw during the campus protests in the spring, and in the anti-Israel pronouncement of “The Squad” in Congress, it is the progressive wing of the party that’s leading this charge.Altman’s views are in line with President Biden. She supports a two-state solution and says that expanding Jewish settlements on the West Bank is a barrier to peace. But when it comes to Israel’s security, she is hard line. She supports every weapons shipment and shares the absolutist goals of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Gaza war. “There is no path to peace as long as Hamas continues to exist,” Altman says.

On Israel, Altman stands with Biden -- not Squad

Altman is our choice for the 7th District.Some moderate voters may worry about her history near progressive New Jersey politics. We are convinced that Altman's candidacy is as she describes it — the Hunterdon County native spoke at length about her perspective on the complex politics of the 7th. Stalwart New Jersey Republicans live alongside more progressive Democrats. Altman seeks to strike a balance and said her priorities would include efforts to tackle affordability and to sustain our democratic institutions and women's and reproductive rights.Loyalty to party is not greater than loyalty to New Jersey and the nation. The Keans know it, and so do we.Voters in the 7th should cast their ballots for Altman.

Sue Altman is our choice for NJ-07

Malinowski said the 7th district should hold a special place for Democrats in New Jersey — the presidential race, senate race, and other congressional races are not expected to be competitive, but the campaign between Kean and Altman could prove consequential in terms of control of the House of Representatives.“We’ve got to focus on the difference that we can make,” Malinowski said. “We’ve got to focus on flipping this seat in the 7th district.”Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), the Democratic nominee for Senate, also rallied the crowd of about 90 people in Somerville.“Sue Altman’s doing everything she can,” Kim said. “I can assure you I’m doing everything I can. We’ve got to do our part, each and every one of us, we cannot do this alone.”Altman also spoke for a few minutes, framing her campaign as a grassroots effort against Kean, who has received millions in outside spending and has held few open events.

Malinowski joins Altman, Kim in Somerville rally

Democrat Sue Altman is closing in on Rep. Tom Kean Jr. in their race for Congress, trailing him now by just two points with three weeks to go, according to a fresh poll from Monmouth University.Kean might want to consider ending his isolation and talking to voters, and the press. His rose garden strategy doesn’t seem to be working.Yes, it would be risky for Kean to emerge from his cave. He’d have to explain his endorsement of Donald Trump, and that conversation might do damage, especially among the centrist voters who could tip this thing.Many voters in New Jersey mistakenly believe that Kean is a moderate Republican, thanks to that last name. His dad, the former governor, is a moderate and has denounced Trump as unfit for the presidency. So have Chris Christie, Christie Whitman, and Sen. Jon Bramnick, a candidate for governor next year.So, if Kean Jr. ginned up the nerve to host a town hall, he’d have to explain why they are all wrong, including his dad.

On the new poll showing Kean could lose | Moran

The election in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District between incumbent Tom Kean, Jr. and challenger Sue Altman is extremely close according to the Monmouth (“Mon-muth”) University Poll. Kean has the edge on a number of issues, including the economy, immigration, and crime while Altman has a large advantage on abortion policy. Overall, voters are somewhat more likely to see Kean’s political views as being in step with the district than Altman’s.Among all registered voters in the district, 46% will definitely (31%) or probably (15%) vote for Kean and 44% will definitely (32%) or probably (12%) vote for Altman.&nbsp; [Note: Just over 1 in 10 voters report already casting their ballots. They are included among “definite” supporters for their chosen candidate.] Another 10% of registered voters do not have a preference between the two. Also, just 37% say they will definitely not vote for Kean and 38% will definitely not vote for Altman – which gives both candidates the potential to pick up support in the final weeks of the campaign.

Tight Contest in CD07

The first – and possibly only – independent poll of the House contest in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district is out, and it shows a remarkably close race.The poll, conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute, finds that 46% of registered 7th district voters will definitely or probably vote for incumbent Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), and 44% will definitely or probably vote for his Democratic challenger, Sue Altman. (As has been the case in most recent Monmouth polls, the poll did not test a direct head-to-head between the candidates, instead gauging each of their support levels separately.)When the field is expanded to include third-party candidates, Kean and Altman settle into a tie with 43% support each, while 6% of respondents said they would opt for another candidate. Two third-party contenders, Libertarian Lana Leguía and Green Andrew Black, are indeed on the ballot, though it would be a surprise if they combine for such a large share of the vote.Patrick Murray, the director of the Monmouth Poll, said his poll indicates that both Kean and Altman could be in a position to win depending on how the final three weeks of the campaign break for each of them.

Kean, Altman neck-and-neck in Monmouth NJ-7 poll

This morning, Sue Altman released a new ad in the tightly contested race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.In the ad, NJ-07 resident Erica T. of Mountainside lays bare Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr.’s “dangerous anti-abortion views” – positions that are wildly out of step with the values of his constituents.“Kean is such an extremist, he’s refused to protect IVF,” Erica says. “And he backs those who want a national abortion ban.”Kean, Jr. might try to run away from his extreme anti-abortion views, but his 23-year political career details a sprawling record of support for stripping away the reproductive rights and fundamental freedoms of women in New Jersey and nationwide.

Altman Goes After Kean for His Anti-Abortion Views

As is the case in countless congressional races around the country, the battle for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district between Republican incumbent Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Democrat Sue Altman is revolving in part around the issue of abortion. And this morning, Altman went on the air with a&nbsp;15-second TV spot castigating Kean as an anti-choice extremist.“Tom Kean Jr. has dangerous anti-abortion views,” a Mountainside resident named Erica says in the ad. “Kean is such an extremist, he’s refused to protect IVF. And Kean backed those who want a national abortion ban. Kean is wrong and dangerous for New Jersey.”Altman’s campaign said that it is spending in the “high six figures” to air the ad in the 7th district.

Altman ad: Kean has dangerous anti-abortion views

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) and Democratic challenger Sue Altman sparred over Israel policy and antisemitism at their first and only debate on Sunday night, rehashing attacks and jabs each has been deploying on the campaign trail, trying to characterize each other as too extreme for the moderate district.Both candidates cast themselves as strong defenders of Israel and fighters of antisemitism and sought to raise doubts about their opponents’ records. New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, which they’re vying to represent, includes a significant Jewish population.Altman accused Kean of “lying,” saying that she had never held a public stance on Israel while she worked at the WFP, actively fought the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, had traveled throughout Israel and utilized teaching materials from Yad Vashem.

Kean, Altman trade barbs, lean into Israel support

The 7th District congressional race between Tom Kean Jr. and Sue Altman is considered one of the most competitive in the Garden State and the entire nation.Almost all congressional incumbents in New Jersey are favored to recapture their seats this fall, but according to the Cook Political Report, an independent, non-partisan organization that analyzes elections and campaigns for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Kean Jr. and Altman race is tight. The organization had considered the race a toss-up, but now rates it as leaning Republican.The race will have national implications and could determine which party ultimately controls the House.

Race to watch: N.J.’s 7th District

At one point during Sunday’s CD-7 debate, Sue Altman said of her opponent – Thomas H. Kean Jr.:“Your absence has created a vacuum&nbsp;and we’re filling it with leadership.”She was talking about Kean’s habit of avoiding unfiltered interactions with the press and public.Kean responded that the “vast majority of people in this district prefer I come to them.”He spoke of telephone town halls, but in truth, his answer&nbsp;made little sense.What Kean did do – time and time again – was label Altman as a far-left extremist, who backs legalizing all drugs and letting cop killers out of jail.She said he was totally wrong.Kean said that has been the position of the Working Families Party, for which Altman once worked.Altman said none of that is her position.The race in CD-7, which covers at least parts of Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, Union and Warren counties, is the most interesting in New Jersey this year.

Kean Appears to get Berated for Being Absent

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.)&nbsp;fell silent after being&nbsp;asked&nbsp;by&nbsp;a debate moderator and his Democratic opponent whether he supports enacting mass deportations of migrants, a policy that former President Trump has called for.The moment came during a debate between Kean and Democratic candidate Sue Altman on Sunday as part of the race to represent New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District in the House. Micah Rasmussen, the director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics and one of the moderators, asked Kean if he would support the policy, and if so, how the costs of the policy will be handled and what will be deprioritized to ensure the policy can get done.&nbsp;“Now I know how the reporters feel,” Altman said, making a reference to instances in the Capitol where Kean would not answer questions from reporters, which she has used in an ad to attack the Republican.&nbsp;

Kean goes silent for 8 seconds after question

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) is out with a new internal poll in New Jersey’s 7th congressional district, and it corroborates what other recent internal polls have said: Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) has a small lead over Democrat Sue Altman, but it’s an extremely tight race.The poll, which was conducted by the DCCC’s in-house firm, puts Kean up by two percentage points, 50% to 48% – well within the margin of error, though it’s worth noting that Altman has yet to post a lead in any public or private poll of the race.That almost perfectly matches a different internal poll released by Altman’s own campaign earlier this week that found Kean leading 47% to 45%. It’s also a major improvement for Altman compared to prior internal Democratic polling taken earlier in the cycle, which at one point gave Kean advantages as large as 13 points.

DCCC poll finds Kean with tiny lead in NJ-7

If there is a single moment that captures the essence of Rep. Tom Kean Jr., it came on Sept. 25 when he stepped into an elevator in the Capitol to avoid a reporter.The reporter followed him in, recording it all on video, asking a series of questions about Donald Trump, Ukraine, even the Mets. So far, 1.2 million viewers have seen what happened next.Kean froze. He looked straight ahead, stone-faced and silent, refusing to say even what he had for lunch. He was a scared mouse.A radical lefty? Not quite. This is a woman who is solidly in the mainstream of the Democratic Party. She has fought against leaders of her own party, based on principled belief. Can Kean make that claim?The radical in this race is not Sue Altman; it’s Donald Trump, and the manager of his local franchise in the 7th District, Tom Kean Jr.

Star-Ledger endorsement: Sue Altman for Congress

An internal poll by Democratic congressional challenger Sue Altman’s campaign shows her trailing incumbent Republican Tom Kean Jr. by two points, which is effectively statistically tied.POLITICO obtained a summary memo of the 7th Congressional District poll as well as its questions and results. It shows Kean with 47 percent support and Altman with 45 percent support, with 7 percent undecided. The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.The poll of 500 likely voters in the 7th district was conducted by the Democratic firm Global Strategy Group.Context: Altman, the former leader of the New Jersey Working Families Party, and Kean, a freshman Republican who served in the state Senate for 20 years, are locked in what is widely considered the most competitive House race in New Jersey. But so far no public polls of the race have been released.Kean, whose father is former Gov. Tom Kean, narrowly defeated two-term Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in 2022, after the district was redrawn to be slightly more Republican.

Altman poll shows razor-thin race against Kean

Don’t try talking to Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr. in the hallway.In a rare interview, Kean told ROI-NJ, an online media site concentrating on business news, that it’s important to have good relations with the press. However, he added:“But I do have a long-standing policy that when we’re on government property and when I’m on my constituents’ time, I don’t do hallway interviews.”All this has to do with the&nbsp;CD-7 congressman standing silently while a D.C – based reporter tried to engage him in conversation. Forget&nbsp;about policies.Kean even refused to talk about the Yankees or what he had for lunch.A video of this “exchange” is making the rounds and is being used by Sue Altman, Kean’s opponent.Kean’s aversion to “hallway interviews” is a bit off-the-wall.&nbsp; Anyone who watches the news sees members of the House and Senate – regardless of political persuasion – talking to reporters in the halls of Congress all the time.

Kean Tries to Explain His Unwillingness to Explain

The battle lines in the race between Rep. Tom Kean Jr. and his Democratic challenger, Sue Altman, are taking clear shape with a month to go.Kean is the one who won’t talk to the press, and rarely emerges from his cave to hold events. If you haven’t seen the recent video of him stuck in an elevator with a reporter, it is must-see viewing for anyone in the 7th District. The reporter, Ben Hulac of NJ Spotlight, can’t get a reaction from Kean on any policy, or his endorsement of Donald Trump. “You pick the topic,” Hulac says in desperation. “I’d love to talk to you about literally anything.”But let’s also take a closer look at who the extremist is in this race. Kean is a Trump loyalist. He’s shown none of the courage we’ve seen from other Republicans who have denounced Trump, from Liz Cheney to Chris Christie. He’s choosing instead to be silent and obedient, voting with Trump every time.

Kean Jr., foot soldier for Trump, extremist in NJ7

Today, Sue Altman released a new digital ad in the hypercompetitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.&nbsp;The ad will likely look familiar to anyone who’s contributed to the 1.1 million X view count on a video of NJ Spotlight reporter Ben Hulac’s persistent, yet fruitless attempts to get freshman Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. to answer a single question in the Capitol.Unlike Kean, Jr., the tape speaks for itself.&nbsp;In the spot, Kean, Jr. refuses to make eye contact with (or acknowledge the existence of) Hulac, even as the reporter offers to let him talk about a topic of his choice.&nbsp;“You pick the topic. Would love to talk to you about literally anything.”

Kean’s Silence Becomes Altman’s Next Ad

Sue Altman, Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, announced raising more than $2,100,000 last quarter, bringing her campaign’s total raise to over $5,100,000 this cycle.Unlike her opponent, incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr., Sue doesn’t accept a single cent of corporate PAC money and relies heavily on grassroots support. Her campaign has received contributions from over 30,000 unique donors this cycle.Kean, Jr. has accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of his career from corporate special interests, and his campaign has increasingly relied on outside spending to keep pace in this hypercompetitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race.

Altman Raises $2.1 M in Q3, $5.1 M total for cycle

Sue Altman, the Democratic nominee for New Jersey’s hyper-competitive 7th congressional district, has had another gangbusters fundraising quarter, raising more than $2.1 million between July 1 and September 30.The whopping total brings Altman into the upper echelons of the strongest House fundraisers in New Jersey history – the record still belongs to Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), who raised $2.8 million from donors in a single quarter in 2018 – and means that Altman will have lots of cash to spend in her bid to unseat first-term Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield).“The numbers speak for themselves – thanks to the support of the thousands of people who know NJ-07 deserves better than Tom Kean, Jr., this campaign has the momentum and resources it needs to sprint all the way through Election Day, and we’re not going to slow down anytime soon,” Rob West, Altman’s campaign manager, said in a statement.

Altman raises whopping $2.1 million in 3 months

Women and girls in sports have bigger things to worry about than transgender athletes, Democrat Sue Altman is reminding voters.The candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey's 7th District touched on the topic of trans inclusion in sports at a Thursday town hall in Phillipsburg. As a former basketball player for Columbia University, Altman said that she is supportive of “our trans brothers and sisters” playing on teams that align with their gender identities."If we decide as a society that making rules about who is and who isn’t female is more important than giving young children a chance to be on teams and compete and to be part of something bigger than themselves, especially young people who are more susceptible to suicide and bullying, then I think we’ve lost our way a little bit," Altman said, via the New York Post.

Altman perfectly defends trans athletes

On Friday morning, the National Republican Campaign Committee shared an audio clip on X that appeared to depict Sue Altman, the Democratic candidate challenging Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, endorsing antisemitic campus protests at Columbia University.But the full clip tells a very different story, in which Altman clearly condemned the protests as antisemitic and unacceptable.The post is the latest of Republicans’ efforts to portray Altman, a longtime progressive activist who led the Working Families Party in New Jersey, as too radical to represent the New Jersey swing district — a line of attack that has sometimes focused on questions about Altman’s record on Israel.

Town hall clip tells opposite story from NRCC vid

This morning, Sue Altman released a new ad in the hypercompetitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District.The ad showcases law enforcement leaders who have decided to back Altman over incumbent Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. – including Somerset County Sheriff Darrin Russo and Union County Sheriff Peter Corvelli – representing the two largest counties of NJ-07.Rejecting Tom Kean, Jr.’s “dishonest attacks and lies,” these law enforcement leaders support Altman’s vision for comprehensive public safety – which includes fully funding police departments so they can invest in the training, recruitment, and equipment they need, standing against the rise of hate crimes and holding perpetrators accountable, and getting dangerous firearms off our streets to keep our communities safe.Voters have the opportunity for new leadership they can trust and be proud of with Sue as their next Congresswoman.

CD-7 Sheriffs Back Sue Altman in New Ad

Democrat Sue Altman began airing a new broadcast and cable TV ad this morning using three career law enforcement officials to validate her support of law enforcement after four police unions endorsed the Republican incumbent, Rep. Tom Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th district.In “Seen it All,” Altman uses two county sheriffs – both Democrats – and a relative who is a retired police detective on Long Island – to deliver a contrast with Kean and burnish her pro-police credentials.&nbsp;&nbsp; The ad notes that Altman’s grandfather and uncle were police officers – and uses a photo of her as a young child with a police officer, pointing out: “That’s Sue.”

Altman ad presents support from law enforcement

The Service Employees International Union New Jersey State Council has endorsed Andy Kim for the U.S. Senate and nine Democratic candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, including challenger Sue Altman in the 7th district.The labor union is backing six incumbent Democrats for re-election: Donald Norcross (D-Camden), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-Long Branch), Robert Menendez (D-Jersey City), LaMonica McIver (D-Newark), Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing).

SEIU backs nine Democrats for House

Sue Altman has a simple message as fall arrives and Election Day nears: “I’m here.”Being accessible to voters and the press typically isn’t enough to stand apart in a tight congressional race like the one she’s in with Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield). But Altman hopes her criticisms of Kean — that he gives too few interviews to journalists and is too unwilling to be in the public eye — will further differentiate her from the Republican.Altman, who hosted a town hall in Warren County’s Phillipsburg on Thursday night, jabbed Kean for a video in which the congressman refused to answer questions from an NJ Spotlight reporter. The Democrat used these points to double down on an argument she made in her&nbsp;first town hall: that Kean lacks “political courage.”“He’s either deeply uncomfortable with a cognitive dissonance he’s holding in his brain about the job he has, or he doesn’t want the job, or he just cannot defend his positions,” Altman told the Globe after the town hall. “And either one of those is pretty upsetting.”

Altman jabs at Kean in third town hall

Today, the Congressional Black Caucus PAC endorsed Sue Altman in her race for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, where she is locked in a hyper-competitive Cook Political Report Toss-Up race with Republican Congressman Tom Kean, Jr.Congressional Black Caucus PAC Chairman Gregory Meeks made the following statement:“Sue Altman is a stalwart supporter of justice and policies that will strengthen our communities and invest in a brighter future for all New Jerseyans. Based on her history advocating for working families, teachers, and taxpayers, I know Sue will be a vital part of the next generation of leaders who will bring forward a new Democratic House majority. The Congressional Black Caucus PAC wholeheartedly endorses her in NJ-07.”

Congressional Black Caucus PAC Endorses Sue Altman

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. should donate his Congressional salary to charity after handing in his resignation. His refusal to answer questions of any kind – even what he had for lunch – has turned him into a national joke.If you haven’t seen the video of NJ Spotlight’s Ben Hulac chasing him into an elevator this week in a futile effort to get even one answer to a question, take a look at it. It is painful to watch, because Kean stands in silence for two minutes, stone-faced, as Hulac asks him a series of questions.But not Kean. I’ve sent him dozens of questions in the last few years, and he’s never answered one, even in writing. He’s not holding open town halls, either.It’s a sad story, really. Kean never had the confidence to speak openly about controversial issues, even when he was a Republican leader in the state Legislature. He’d always begin by asking, “Are we off the record?” But eventually, he would usually tell you what he thought, even if couched with timid qualifiers.

MAGA Congressman Kean Jr. should just quit

New Jersey will potentially play a pivotal role in this November’s election, with virtually all of its delegation’s seats up for election in what could help decide the balance of power in Congress.But covering the reelection campaign of one Republican incumbent has become more like a game of chase — and our reporting team is losing.Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-7th) has avoided or refused questions and interviews from reporters both here at NJ Spotlight News and across the New Jersey press corps, effectively giving the silent treatment to those tasked with holding elected officials accountable.

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. refuses to answer, anything

Altman’s town hall tour is more than just answering an assortment of questions about strains on teacher’s pensions, anxieties about property taxes, Social Security and climate change. The tour has provided a stage for Altman to draw a sharp contrast with her opponent, Republican incumbent Rep. Thomas H. Kean Jr., who largely avoids the press, minimizes his informal interactions with voters and is banking on the power of social media and the aura of the enduring Kean name — his father, former Gov. Thomas H. Kean, a pillar of moderate Republican politics, remans one of the most popular figures in New Jersey despite leaving office more than three decades ago.Her point: she will be accountable to voters, anxious about the fate of Democracy. Kean, she argues, is accountable to Republican House leadership led by ultra conservative House Speaker Mike Johnson, and led around by the nose by ex-President Donald Trump and his MAGA army. Sending Kean back to Washington for a second term will only fortify a Republican Party that is drifting toward a draconian vision of governance and away from the nation’s democratic moorings, Altman contends.

Can Altman stir MAGA fears to unseat Tom Kean Jr?

A coalition of labor and grassroots progressive groups has raised over $500,000 to help Democrat Sue Altman unseat Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) in New Jersey’s 7th district, the New Jersey Globe has learned.The New Jersey Education Association, the Communications Workers of America, the Working Families Party, 32BJ SEIU, New Jersey Citizen Action, Make the Road New Jersey, and Blue Wave New Jersey are expected to use the funds to pay for digital ads, direct mail, paid canvassing, and even airplane banners in their bid to flip the 7th district seat.“The road to a just, pro-worker Congress runs right through New Jersey, and CWA members are ready to get to work like never before to make sure that working people win at the ballot box in November,” said CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor. &nbsp;“We cannot let billionaires continue to buy their way into power and pave the way for politicians who want to strip us of our rights, our union, our retirement, and our freedoms.”

Unions, prog groups launch $500k plan to oust Kean

Trying to cover the re-election campaign of Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey is a bit like reading the children’s book “Where’s Waldo?”Numerous postings on Facebook from the Kean campaign show events in the state's 7th Congressional District, but only after those appearances have been held. His campaign sends out press releases criticizing his Democratic challenger Sue Altman, but none mention any of Kean's upcoming public events.All queries to the campaign go unanswered, including one for this story. Multiple reporters from other outlets said this has also happened to them.

Kean running for reelection - and from questions

NJ Spotlight News Anchor Briana Vannozzi sits down with New Jersey’s District 7 Democratic candidate Sue Altman.

Conversation with Sue Altman, NJ-7 Dem candidate

Sue Altman, Democratic candidate for Congress representing the Seventh Congressional district, returned on Monday, Sept. 16, to her hometown of Clinton to talk to potential constituents.She will face off against Republican Congressman Thomas Kean Jr., who is seeking his second two-year term,&nbsp; in the Tuesday, Nov. 5 general election.More than 100 attendees from across Hunterdon and Somerset counties and beyond heard Altman cover topics ranging from transparency in government, funding for schools and infrastructure, the viability of New Jersey agriculture, the workings of Congress and the importance of voter turnout.&nbsp;

(VIDEO) Congressional Candidate Sue Altman hosts Clinton town hall

But an interesting difference between the challengers and the incumbents is the relative lack of focus on health care policy. A few candidates mention lowering prescription drug costs in their ads, but the issue does not define their messaging campaigns in the same way it defines incumbent Democrats’. Interestingly, challengers followed the same script as their Republican counterparts — once again, we see words like “Washington” "and “politicians” prominently featured in the word cloud.A great example of this is New Jersey’s 7th congressional district. Democratic challenger Sue Altman uses two Republican surrogates, who say, “I'm really done with Tom Kean Jr. Kean is your typical say-anything, do-nothing politician. I gave the guy a chance.”That’s pure political persuasion. In an R+1 congressional district that has voted for both Trump and Biden, Altman is betting her best path to electoral victory is exposing Republican-leaning voters to that ad, and subsequently, getting them to rethink their party commitment. They might still cast a ballot for Trump, but pass on their support for the “do-nothing politician,” Tom Kean Jr.

How Democrats and Republicans Plan to Flip Seats

Tom H. Kean Jr. won his CD-7 seat two years ago by not really engaging with the press or having public events.He’s following the same pattern this year as he seeks reelection. This has continued&nbsp;to cause&nbsp;angst&nbsp;among the media, Democrats and some public interest groups.Here’s what the Democratic candidate said after holding a town hall Saturday afternoon in this Morris County town:“Tom Kean Jr. dodges the press, doesn’t do town halls … people care about that because they care about the democracy. And not just in an esoteric concept. But democracy in terms of how it functions in this district. These are people who expect a high degree of service from their elected officials.”

Kean’s Cloak of Invisibility

Sue Altman has been out and about all week – holding a rally in Rahway, a town hall in Clinton and speaking at a forum at FDU.Not so much her opponent, incumbent Rep. Tom H. Kean Jr.Yes, he has a “day job,” but that in itself does not explain Kean’s continuing refusal to engage with the press, or for that matter, just about anyone other than loyal Republicans.Kean used this strategy in winning his CD-7 seat two years ago, so one can’t blame him for doing it again in a district that leans Republican by about 19,000 on the registration rolls.At the same time, it makes for an interesting dynamic in what is the only competitive House race in the state.

Altman Picks up Tempo Against Invisible Kean

In the banquet hall of a hotel-turned-assisted living facility in her hometown of Clinton, Democratic challenger Sue Altman launched a six-stop town hall circuit that will stop in each of the 7th district’s six counties.The town hall was itself a jab at Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) — Altman said the congressman’s lack of town halls and in-depth interviews with the press signified a break in tradition from leaders in the district. And while Altman discussed the pair’s political and ideological differences with the event’s 175 attendees, she blamed the Republican’s relative lack of accessibility on an absence of “political courage.”“He is not someone who’s known for wanting to be in the public eye, and I would respect that if he was accountable to the people of this district in other ways,” Altman said during the town hall. “But it is my opinion that he’s not at all.”

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